(a) Field of the Invention
This application relates to aircraft or vertically and horizontally flying aircraft, which are droven by propellers, which in turn are driven by hydraulic or other fluid motors. The invention relates further to such aircraft which have at least two pairs of tiltable or pivotable wings. In such craft each pair of wings consists of a left side and a right wing portion. Each wing-portion has at least one propeller which is pivoted together with the wing. In substantial vertical propeller axes and wing-position, the craft can vertically or almost vertically take off and land. At substantially horizontal propeller axes and wing-position the aircraft can fly on wings forwardly. The heretofore known fields of inventions did however never propose an aircraft of the present type.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Horizontally moving propellerdriven vehicle or aircraft are derived partially from the applications whereof the present application is a respective continuation or divisional application. For example, they are shown in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,790,105; 3,823,898; 9,983,833 or 4,126,522. Other air-borne vehicles, for example those, where hydraulic fluid motors are driving propellers which may be fastened on pipes, are for example, my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,399; 3,253,806, 3,345,016; 3,497,162 or 3,614,029. My newest aircraft patent 4,136,845 whereof the priority is claimed too, discloses retractable propellers in the wings. All these heretofore mentioned patents have hydraulic drives for the propellers.
Differently therefrom there have been attempts to develop vertically take of and landing aircraft with pivotable wings, wherein the propellers are driven by engines directly or by mechanical transmissions which are extended from the engine(s) in the body through the respective wing portion to the propellers.
VTOL=vertically taking off and landing aircraft, as far as the engines to drive the propellers are fastened to the respective wing or portion of the wing have been build and published reports about their capabilities exist. At least one type is build by a commercial aircraft company and the airforce has successfully build and let be published reports about heavy types of such propeller driven VTOL aircraft. The Jet-engine driven VTOL fighter planes are not related to the present invention, because they are not propeller-driven.
More closer related to the present invention, than the aircraft with engines mounted on the wings, are those, where one or more engine(s) is (are) mounted in the body of the aircraft and mechanic transmission means are extended from the respective engine in the body to the propeller(s) on the wings. The most closely related aircraft of the last mentioned types are for example shown in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,810-OLSON, whereof also a Canadian patent exists, shows two pairs of wing portions which each have a propeller. Plural engines are mounted in the body and drive a transmission means in common, which is a mechanical transmission. The mechanic transmission extends from the engines through a portion of the body and through portions of the wings to the propellers to drive them. While the patent describes the arrangement in great detail, it also discloses, that a great number of parts are required, which together make a very heavy weight. The wings are needing additional structures and bearings must be provided for the propellers to hold them. The patent fails to give an overall weight-lift balance of the craft. It can not be seen, how much the craft would be able to lift after it has to carry all the many heavy parts of the transmission, wing structure and propeller shaft bearings.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,081-DOBSON shows an aircraft with each one wing portion extending to the right and left of the body. The wings are however borne on on pipes which are inside of each other and the drive shaft is full and inside of the inner pipe. The pipes, which bear the wings are borne in separated bearings on each side of the body of the craft. The there disclosed pipes must be either of big diameter to be able to carry the load of the wings and the thrusts of the propellers, which would require heavy weight of the pipes. Or there would have to be additional structures of heavy weight to make the wings stable. In addition the bearing capacity of the single bearings for each side wardly extending wing-pipe set can be only limited. The craft in addition needs still too many heavy parts to become economical and the patent fails also, in the same way, as Olson, to disclose an overall lift-weight balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,726,062 of GILMAN shows an air ship which has accessory wings which carry engines which drive propellers. The four wing portions with the propellers are pivotable in the body of the air ship whereby the wing portions can help the ship to ascend almost vertically and to land vertically. A specific feature of this air ship is that the propellers can by pivoted so far that the propellers can tract the ship downwards for a landing whereby the towing of the ship by ropes, as was commonly required for handling of the ship on the air port, can become eliminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,166,271 of ZUCK shows propellers of a diameter which corresponds to the length of the wing whereby the propeller forces a stream of air over almost the entire wing to eliminate stalling or to reduce the danger of stalling of the wing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,822 of WOLFE teaches a helicopter which has three propellers which are driven by hydraulic motors. A single flow pump sends a flow of hydraulic fluid to a controller which has a handle to be operated by the pilot. The handle opens and closes partially an orifice arrangements which controls the rate of portion of flow to the respective propeller. Since there are no plural flows of equal rate of flow produced by the pump, the craft can not hold itself stabile in the air and has to be controlled by the pilot every moment.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,351,821 of WILKINSON shows a helicopter with four rotors mounted on an upper structure which can be inclined relative to the bottom portion of the craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,974,961 of JOHNSON shows a low pressue pump of low efficiency with big losses on a contriol face portion of big diameter, however, the pump can deliver four flows of low pressure hydraulic fluid and with equal rate of flow in all four flows.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,639 of HAAK teaches an aircraft with titable wings, wherein fluid lines are located in the wing and can be fastened to the wing. The fluid lines are together with the respective portions of the wings pivotable in bearings in the body of the craft. While this patent on first glimps makes a good impression, a deeper study, however, brings to light that the patent teaches a false conception. Because it flaps vanes in response to air pulses which are produced in a compressor which runs with a sin function similar to that of a connecting rod of a crankshaft. The rear- and fore-directed portions of the swings of the vanes then nullify each other to zero. The vanes do not supply lift or thrust to the craft. Further, the fluid lines are much too heavy because the alternating compressed air current require big wall thicknesses of the fluid lines and the long fluid lines and big swing motor cylinders make the alternating compressed air drive uneffective.
Other former art exists in several patents, which show specific details, but which do not appear to be closely related to the present invention. Those are, for example;
U.S. Pat. No. 1,858,011, ZERBI discloses double-co-axial propeller drive means which are of mechanical nature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,783-KISOVEC discloses propellers on the wing tips, which are mechanically driven and which can be pivoted from vertical to horizontal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,052-MC.KEOWN discloses pivotable propellers on fixed wings, namely on the tips of the wing portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,280-SHAO-TANG LEE discloses horizontally-vertically collapsible wing portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,988,152-Katzenberger discloses pipes in wings, which are exclusively laterally of each other and which lead compressed air or gases to the ports on the wings on the ends of the wings. There the ports are bend in a rearward direction to supply a forward thrust to the aircraft by the rearwards directed outflows of the air or gases.
GERMAN PATENT 1,299,535-HILLER also discloses pivotable wings, which carry propeller-driving engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,623-FRUECHTE discloses two propellers which are synchronised for their rotary speeds by a hydrostatic transmission means or synchronization means.
GERMAN Patent 1,275,874-YOUNG again discloses propeller driving engines on the tips of pivotable wings.
HOWEVER; all of the mentioned patents of the former art are failing to give an exactly examinable overall lift-weight balance.
They all, as far as they are for pivotable wings, are however demonstrarting the direction of the affords of the former art. They were exclusively directed to mechanical transmission means or to propeller-driving engines on the wings.
It is applicant's discovery by the present invention, that the devices of the former art are uneconomic for vertical take off aircraft for the average citizen with an average income and budget. The craft of the former art are too expensive in operation. Because their too heavy weight requires too expensive, strong engines of little weight. Because the required parts in the craft are too many and the sum of their weights is too heavy to permit an inexpensive engine of only limited horsepower with small fuel consumption.